Guide to Enable Ask Copilot in Windows 11 Taskbar

In an exciting development for Windows 11 users, Microsoft is introducing the “Ask Copilot” feature, aiming to enhance the Taskbar search experience. This guide will walk you through the process of enabling or disabling this innovative function, which replaces the traditional Windows Search with a new AI-driven approach.

Overview of the Ask Copilot Feature

Available starting from Windows 11 builds 26220.7051 and 26120.7051 in the Dev and Beta Channels, the Ask Copilot feature allows users to leverage artificial intelligence for searching through files, settings, applications, and much more. This upgrade also provides access to Copilot Vision and Voice functionalities.

Currently, this opt-in feature replaces the existing Windows Search experience in the Taskbar. For users eager to try out this functionality ahead of broader rollout, manual activation using the ViveTool utility is necessary. If you don’t see this design yet, you can enable it through the steps outlined below, following the guidance from @PhantomOfEarth.

Activation Steps for Ask Copilot in Windows 11

Follow the steps below to enable the Ask Copilot search feature in your Taskbar:

Activate the Ask Copilot Feature Using ViveTool
Enable Ask Copilot Through Settings

Enable Ask Copilot Feature Using ViveTool

To enable this feature via ViveTool, adhere to the following steps:

Access the GitHub page for ViveTool.
Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to your computer.
Double-click on the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.
Click the Extract all button.
Confirm extraction by clicking the Extract button.
Navigate to the extracted folder and copy the path.
Open the Start Menu on your computer.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click on it, and select Run as administrator.
Enter the following command to change the directory to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:

cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.x.x

Ensure you modify the path to reflect your system’s specific directory.
Run this command to enable the Ask Copilot search functionality in the Taskbar:

vivetool /enable /id:57739723, 57941090
Restart your computer to complete the setup.

Upon successful completion, you should have the option to start utilizing the Ask Copilot feature.

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If you wish to disable the Ask Copilot search box on versions 25H2 and 24H2, simply run the command vivetool /disable /id:57739723, 57941090.

Turn On the Ask Copilot Feature Through Settings

To switch from the Windows Search box to the Ask Copilot interface, follow these concise instructions:

Open the Settings app from the Taskbar.
Select Personalization.
Navigate to the Taskbar section.
(Option 1) Enable the Ask Copilot toggle under the “Taskbar items” section.
(Option 2) Disable the Ask Copilot toggle under the same section if needed.

After following these steps, your search box will now display “Ask Copilot anything” and will provide options for accessing both Copilot Vision and Voice features.

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